The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union
of Universities, University of Lagos chapter, Dr. Oghenekaro Ogbinaka,
speaks on the 14-week-old strike by lecturers in public universities, in
this interview with CHARLES ABAH
Fourteen weeks into the strike, the end is still not in sight. What is ASUU’s next line of action considering the plight of students?
Even if the strike that started on July 1
has lasted all the only one week, it would still have been very
damaging. In other climes, nobody would expect all the public
universities to be shut for over 100 days. Yet we all are carrying on as
if all is well.
Our policy makers’ perception of
education is faulty. The governments, across all levels of governance,
have a faulty philosophy of education. They think that educating
Nigerians is a gift. They believe that proper funding of education is
wasteful and a private “family matter.” Hence, you may even hear those
who ought to be well-informed wanting to know why government should be
spending so much on education. They want every public institution and
schools privatised.
They forget that even the colonial
government gave the mission schools grants in aid; thus recognising the
central role of government in the provision of good and affordable
schools.
The point being made is that the premise
at which the government is operating at the educational platform is
wrong. The government should set out to satisfy the education system and
not ASUU. Central to the restoration of normalcy in our universities is
the question of funding and ASUU is saying what has been offered so
far, since the strike began, is just a laughable amount that cannot be
taken seriously. The question is: would ASUU embark on strike because of
N130bn? No! Given the current hardliner’s position of the FG, ASUU is
simply saying we cannot continue on the old template, so the strike
continues.
We also appreciate the fact that there
are some genuine interventions by well-meaning Nigerians to bring both
parties to the table for discussion. Ultimately, both ASUU and the FG
will meet to discuss and move forward. We cannot lock up our
universities permanently and think both parties can move about
comfortably. This is not acceptable.
We understand that the FG has started
the no- work-no-pay policy. How far will this affect the struggle? Do
you foresee a situation where your colleagues will be coerced into
submission by this policy?
The no-work-no-pay policy is a familiar
measure. It has never worked with ASUU. We have seen cases where our
colleagues were victimised and even sacked as the administration of the
University of Ilorin did in the past. Our union could adopt the “No pay,
no work” policy too. Invariably, this current strike will not be
suspended until we are paid even when all the contentious issues have
been resolved. Personally, I think we should operate from higher moral
grounds given the justified cause we are pursuing. Really, it is a
policy of the FG born out of its inability to address minor human
problems. The policy cannot force our members back to work. We were
well convinced on our line of action. We were in no illusion as to what
actions or inactions the FG, state and even some university
administrations would do. But once you have a well-mobilised union
membership that are trustful of their leaders and believe in the cause
they are championing, there will be the will, way and courage to push.
This policy is familiar. It is an old route. We know how to navigate it
even with closed eyes.
The trust of the agitation borders
on funding and the FG says it does not have enough to satisfy all your
demands. What do you suggest on how funds could be raised to run the
sector?
The minister of finance should be
bothered about capital flight by way of Nigerians studying abroad. The
country is losing much in terms of people going to seek “good health.”
We are losing in terms of huge importation of rice and other products we
have at our back yard. Recall the oil theft cartel. Recall Nigerians
establishing universities in neighbouring African countries. Where are
such done in this world? Where is the patriotism here? These people
ironically are also not only the friends of our government; a few of
them are in government. You withhold salaries of lecturers, yet students
are home and the system is paralysed. Yet you are compelled to pay the
non-academic staff that are not on strike; a wage bill that is even
higher than what lecturers are paid. So government is paying for a
non-functional system so long as the strike lasts. This is why we cannot
but appeal to the government to resolve all the matters quickly and in a
way we can guarantee lasting and sustainable industrial harmony in our
universities.
As one has argued elsewhere, the FG
cannot really sustain the argument of no funds for education. It is all
about government’s priority. ASUU has never left the issue of funding
entirely in the hands of government. It is erroneous for anybody to
think so. There is a full chapter in the agreement that talks about
sources of funding as well as cost-saving measures that the universities
should adopt. For example, TetFund is a product of ASUU’s agreement.
Again, the Nigerian Universities Pension Commission is expected to carry
out minimal interventions by way of investing in our universities.
There are other aspects. For example, ASUU has put a case for the
government to patronise the universities in areas of consultancy and
research; and to encourage private firms to do the same. This is not to
say the government should be encouraged to abandon its driving role in
education. The government must make adequate budgetary provisions for
education. Education is the key to a nation’s development.
The Governor Gabriel Suswam-led
committee said it had commenced the disbursement of N100bn to the
universities. Why is ASUU not comfortable with the gestures of the
committee?
Even if Governor Gabriel Suswam-led
committee meant well, he was most uninformed on the issues involved. He
thought it was all about award of contracts for hostels, etc. He ignored
what was on ground and was carried away by a misplaced messianic hype.
If only he appreciated that, there were the Needs Assessment Report
recommendations for each terms of reference that were duly approved by
the President. He ignored this document and wanted to allocate funds to
universities and commence contract awards. This is simplistic. It is
born out of not appreciating the issues involved. Now that the
vice-chancellors are involved and under the watch of the Vice-President
we are sure there will be better progress.
The uncomplimentary role of the
Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof.
Julius Okojie, did not help the Suswam Committee. Okojie has never been
on the same page with ASUU as a body. He gives the impression that the
union is all out to destroy, and is indeed destroying the system;
whereas ASUU believes that the system is already destroyed and requires
urgent resuscitation. If you go with the ES of NUC, there will be
problems. This was what Suswam did.
NANS says it is no longer supporting
ASUU in the strike. Is this not an indication that the union has lost
one of its strong allies in this struggle?
The tragedy of this nation is that we
killed leadership at the students’ level. The government penetrated the
students’ body and destroyed it. We are aware that the President of NANS
was rusticated about 10 years ago from the Ekiti State University. He
appeared at the Obafemi Awolowo University where he got admitted for a
diploma programme in Local Government Studies in order to qualify him to
seek election as NANS President. Now we have a Diploma Student
representing NCE, OND, HND, Bachelors students as their leader. The
painful thing is that most students, even at OAU, Ife, do not know the
President of NANS. It is doubtful if he has a regular matriculation
number, knows his course adviser and fellow students. He runs NANS from
the comfort of a hotel in Abuja. Our prayer is that the strike will be
over, those parading themselves as NANS leaders will be back to school,
and journalists will be able to locate them in their various hostels and
classrooms if they are genuine students. We know our students and our
students know us. These NANS people may be students but not Nigerian
undergraduates.
Again, people usually bring in students’
plight each time ASUU is on strike. They keep quiet about the students’
plight while they are in the schools that lack basic learning
facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, good security and
libraries. They see nothing wrong with the plight of students who live
in cramped rooms, inhuman hostels, learning under trees, etc. Outside
strike action, these students are victims of a bad and inhuman system.
This explains why our leaders send their wards abroad. Fortunately,
unlike in the past that ASUU was easily blackmailed, especially with the
“plight of the students” argument, the students themselves are the No 1
supporters of ASUU’s struggles today. They appreciate the fact that
they may not benefit from the new hostels and facilities. However, they
are excited with the gains of the bigger picture. If the condition of
service of lecturers is enhanced, qualified students will want to take
up lecturing jobs. We will also have foreigners in our faculties. All we
are trying to do is to ensure that our children do not become victims
of a terrible education system.
ASUU leadership is reportedly under
security watch now. As an official of the union, how true is this? Have
you had any encounter with security agents since the strike started?
It is a normal thing for government
security details to be bothered about the on goings. A few may be
overzealous. We meet with them regularly. But the interesting thing is
that they are Nigerians. So, one should leave it like that. Their family
members are affected by the bad education system. One should be stupid
to think that government will not consider the security implications of
the union’s action. The truth is that education made people like Awolowo
popular. He built the then University of Ife and funded education
massively. The same can be said of Nnamdi Azikwe and Ahmadu Bello.
People loved them for what they did. Theirs was affordable, popular and
mass education for all. This endeared them to the people.
ASUU leadership, in the course of
providing counter arguments and rebuttals to the misinformation and
propaganda by government agents, is mindful of the security implications
of such reactions. We are avoiding a very thin line. This explains why
we shield the students’ body from actively participating in the
struggle. We can only appeal to government to listen and implement the
agreement. Resorting to force and intimidation are no solutions. They
will only exacerbate the bad situations. It is therefore strange when
we read stories that call for the disbanding of a harmless trade union
of intellectuals and privatisation of publicly-owned universities as
solutions. At the end of the day both the government and the university
system will come out better and stronger. ASUU will simply go back to
the classroom, satisfied that our universities have become globally
competitive.
